Biking touring by yourself or with a partner, or with a bunch of people, largely depends on the type of person you are. If you are an introvert like me who has pretty much always been alone, then that is simply how you do things and experience life. Of course, there are lots of people who do these kinds of trips with friends or strangers. I see lots of posts on Facebook groups where cyclists are looking for bike touring partners.
When I did my 2011 bike ride in northern and western Canada, I did it alone and really liked it that way. It would never have occurred to me to do it any other way at the time. But I did run into a few people on two occasions, and I intentionally rode with them for the experience of riding with others. And both times, they reinforced my expectations that bike touring by yourself was the best way for me. On my last tour, I cycled 26,000 kilometers (16,155 miles) without riding with a single person, and thanks to Covid-19, I almost never ran into other people cycle touring.
The only time I rode with anyone was on a few occasions when local mountain bike clubs in Mexico would join for the day. One day, five guys biked 82 kilometres (51 miles). It was an experience for sure, but I am also glad that it didn’t happen very often.
It seems, based on my observation, that a lot of people are worried about getting lonely, but I don’t read too often that someone ever bails on a tour because of loneliness. While I understand the loneliness felt when you are all alone in the whole world. I never experienced the loneliness of not interacting with people on tour. It seems everywhere I stopped, people wanted to talk.
Camping all alone
There are two main reasons why bike touring with someone else doesn’t really work for me. First is speed, and second is freedom. Based on my two experiences of cycling with others on two separate occasions, which I did enjoy at the time. I noticed two things. Firstly, when you pedal with others, you tend to pedal a lot quicker (all day). There is a momentum that is built, which, for me, takes away the enjoyment of the moment and the ride. I really want to enjoy my ride, and if my focus turns to momentum, then the joy is no longer there.
Speaking of speed, I am not a fast cyclist by any means. I can pedal 12 hours a day, but 12 hours a day at my speed. I think I average about 10 km (miles) an hour on my rides. One day, I pedalled with a group; I think we were averaging 20 km (12.5 miles) an hour. Great for the afternoon, but not sustainable for me.
Secondly, I like the freedom to stop to take photos when I want to take photos. If there are a million photos to take that day, then I want to take all one million of those photos. And I definitely don’t want the pressure of the momentum to prevent me from taking those photos.
I think another advantage to bike touring by yourself is that you are far more approachable when you are solo. What I mean is that strangers and locals are far more likely to engage you, offer you local information, or even a place to sleep if you are solo versus a group.
Potentially, the main advantage I see in bike touring with others is security. At this point, I have never cycled anywhere where security was an issue for me. I felt perfectly safe in Canada, the US, and Mexico. That being said, security is not really my biggest concern. Many cyclists travel through Mexico, Central, and South America alone just fine.
I believe there is something to be said about female cyclists traveling alone. Sexual harassment seems to be the norm for solo female travellers; it’s most unfortunate, but still the reality of the world we live in. That being said, there are female solo cyclists out there. I suspect that how they hold themselves and assert themselves influences unwanted comments or advances.
If certain countries concern you, I see nothing wrong with trying to track down any fellow bike tourers travelling through the same part of the world as you. Inquire on the many Facebook bike groups for others currently bike touring.
Maybe don’t walk across a glacier alone
Some things to consider when bike touring with a partner
If you are afraid to be alone. Then maybe it’s time to move beyond your comfort zone and push through that loneliness. It will actually make you stronger.
Generally, there are people everywhere. In my experience, depending on where you are cycle touring, it’s actually difficult to get lonely. You are generally more approachable as a single person.
If you are worried about safety. Statistically speaking, there is not a single reason why you shouldn’t make it back home safely. Thousands of cycle tourists make it home every year.
There is a lot of compromise involved with a partner or partners.
- Start times and finish times or daily distances,
- The desire to stop a certain destinations or leave the planned route to visit places.
- Time for photo and video taking.
- Stealth camping becomes more of a challenge with multiple tents.
- Taking days off, or if you are feeling a bit under the weather.
- Other than possibly during the day for a few hours, there is no escaping the other person for the duration of the trip.
- Differences in cycling pace or climbing ability can create frustration over time.
- Varied comfort levels with weather, terrain, or road traffic.
- Disagreements over budget — accommodations, food, or gear purchases.
- Gear and packing style differences (what one considers “essential” the other might see as extra weight).
- Risk tolerance — one may be fine with a busy highway shoulder, the other might not.
- Personal habits — everything from music volume to snoring can wear on patience in close quarters.
- Conflict resolution skills are tested daily; small issues can snowball if not addressed quickly.
- And your partner also has to work through all these same compromises.
I have met people who have made bike touring together work. I don’t think I will ever understand how. If I am not married to the person, there is no way I could compromise my day-to-day touring to make someone else happy for an extended time.
Bike touring by yourself isn’t for everyone, but it is definitely for me.
Alone in the desert, a good way to be
Additional Reading
